Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1910 — DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL CANADA. [ARTICLE]

DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL CANADA.

■ f The Story of Bis Yield* of Crain Come* from Every Section. * When the man in the States was Ibid that he could get 160 acres of land in Central Canada—comprising Ilia provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta —that under cultivation would produce from 20 to 30 bushels of wheat to the acre, or if seeded to oats the yield would be 40 to 60 bushels, he was skeptical. The same story was told the man who wished to get nearer to existing lines of railway, and was-only asked to pay $lO to sl2 an acre. But many tried it, some one plan and some' another. The man who accepted the 160 aerfes as a free gift, as a homestead, and was willing to put in the required residence duties of three years, has now a farm worth from fifteen to twenty dollars an acre. The man who chose to purchase, and did so, took up his residence just the same. He has land, that, in many cases, is worth twice the money he paid for it. Both have found that the story of splendid yields was verified. They have had crops exceeding' that promised; they have seen oats that yielded 100 bushels to the acre, and have grown wheat that averaged 40 and as high as 50 bushels to the acre. Their wheat was not a 58 pounds to the bushel article, but 62 and 63 pounds. They have seen within the

past year or two trunk lines of railway constructed through their district, and throwing out branch lines to the gates of their farm. They have seen schools established in their neighborhood and the government contributing largely to their expense. Churches have been erected, villages have been established, towns have -sprung into existence, and cities are rapidly springing up, as if the magic hand of some unseen conjurer was at work. But it was not; it wag the legitimate offering of the wealth of the field, which made all these things come about, naturally, and easy. The prairie that three years ago was merely prairie, a patch of brown, just waiting for the ploughman, is to-day dotted with tilled farms- and splendid homes. The line of elevators with their glistening metaled fireproof sides and roofs, indicate the location of the town and the railroad. There is the glow of newness about it all, but the elevator, the splendid store buildings and the comfortable hostelries denote wealth —not imported wealth —beyond that of the strength of the man who fashioned and built them, but * the wealth of the soil, which means that the newness will be followed by a steady growth. The writer recently was a passenger over the Grand Trunk Pacific, the latest factor in this great, marvelous field of development. The rapidity with which towns were being built up, the farmsteads occupied, was something even his experienced eye had not looked for. Everywhere along the line of this new transcontinental was the distinguishing mark of progress. There was not a mile of the length of the road from Winnipeg to Edmonton and west that did not bear token of its ability t 6 pay tribute to the revenue of the road. Mention is made of this line, not because it is the last in the field, but because it is one of the best built roads on the continent and traverses one of the best districts of an excellent country. It is well Operated, and already has gone into active service as another means of making it possible to secure more speedily transit from the grain fields to the shipping centers. It had been the intention in thiß article to have spoken of some of the yields of grain that have made the farmers of Central Canada contented this year, but space will not permit, so that delightful task will be taken up in another issue. In the meantime It would be well for the reader, if he is interested, to put himself in touch with some official of the Canadian government and get infor- j matlon that might be useful in making a selection for a home in Central Canada, and become one of those who will be Instrumental fn building up a great county to the north, in doing so, you will be assisting the United States. In a few years’ time the United States will be a wheat Importer. Canada will supply the wheat and you will be one of the producers.